


This was gonna be about swords but Idk how soon that’ll happen

by Zonerz



Series: Infinite Post-Forces [4]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comic), Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Minor Injuries, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 08:33:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16082408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zonerz/pseuds/Zonerz
Summary: TFW some weird guy is now ur roommate I guessThis takes place right after Finn recruited Erik!





	This was gonna be about swords but Idk how soon that’ll happen

Finn sighs as he throws his bag down on the grey couch. He checks behind him to see if his new _business_ _partner_ is following him. The escapee whistles as he glances around the suite. Small, but open, giving it a spacious feel. The room is rather modern in style, with a wide array of greys, whites and blacks. A kitchen huddled in the corner to his right, a small round dining table to his left. Ahead of him, where Finn stands is the living room. Simple couch with a matching chair to the right, a lovely mahogany coffee table between, a TV sat on the other side. Beyond the living area, is the balcony, a decently sized one. Lastly the bed sits along the far left wall where the walls of the bathroom jut out of the corner. The aesthetic is certainly fitting for this part of downtown, and he can see this mysterious jackal liking it here.

He can’t imagine the cost. Or where he gets the money.

_ ‘Probably questions best left unanswered, Erik.’ _ He notes to himself. He knows this guy is rehabilitated and passed  _ No Zone’s _ little tests, but how long that lasts or how much the jackal  _ faked _ is up in the air.

“The  _ door, _ Erik.” The jackal looks at him, exasperated already. Erik nods quickly, being pulled out of his thoughts. He swings it shut, and it closes louder than he thought it would. Both of them grimace at the slam. 

Erik laughs weakly, a nervous half grin on his face as Finn merely glares at him before walking away. Erik sighs, pursing his lips in boredom. This guy has  _ no _ sense of humor. He decides to attempt to get to know the guy a bit. He stuffs his hands in his pockets swaying a bit as he looks around.

“So, how long have you been hanging around here?”

“A week. Don’t touch anything.” Finn doesn’t skip a beat in responding as he unpacks his things. He throws off his coat onto his bed as he does seemingly useless chores. Erik rolls his eyes, quietly mocking Finn’s words. Finn stops mid stride and looks at him suspiciously, to which Erik only responds with a grin. The jackal grunts then continues what he was doing. He flings open a cabinet and pulls out a tea pack and starts making a cup. Erik decides to play smart-ass.

“What if I’m hungry?”

The jackal stops. His ear twitches as he thinks over what he said. Eventually he looks back at Erik over his shoulder, annoyed confusion obvious.

_ “What?” _

Erik shrugs with a smile and repeats what he asked.

“What if I’m hungry, Finn?”

“Then  _ eat. _ Did you hit your head on that cement too hard or something? What the hell kind of a question is that?”

“Y’said not to touch anything.” Erik meanders about the room a bit, before he taps the ground with the toe of his boot, he looks back to Finn, “Does the  _ ground _ apply to that too?”

“Are you  _ five? _ Quit asking idiotic questions! You  _ know _ what I meant!” He snaps at the hedgehog, Erik remains unphased.

“Yeah okay, whatever.” He hops the couch, flopping back onto it. It’s at least a pleasant environment, if not great company. The couch is comfier than anything he’s felt in ages, and the sound of the rain pounding against the windows is soothing. He suddenly feels the exhaustion sink in as his limbs become too heavy to lift again. He sighs as silence befalls the room. Finn takes a deep, slow breath in, and lets a slow breath out..

It’s hardly been a few hours with this guy and he already cannot  _ stand _ him. He continues making his tea, lowkey already devising of ways to get the hedgehog off of his back. Why did he even take him up on his offer?  _ ‘Goes to show how my great my decision-making is these days..’ _ He leans on the counter and does a few stretches, his tail flicking as he holds one and hears Erik sigh again. He folds his ears back and starts walking over to the couch.

“ _ Do you—“ _ He stops mid-sentence, finding Erik not only not listening, but completely out like a light. The jackal hesitates, unsure of what to do. He remembers his squad, and finding them curled up somewhere ridiculous after long nights. They’d be hanging off of counters, in the rafters, wherever they deemed comfortable. He gets a sharp pang of regret and sorrow in his chest. He takes another deep breath and clenches his fists. He makes a decision and quickly yet quietly moves his bag from the couch to the bed and leaves the hedgehog alone.

He crosses the room once more only to grab his tea, then returns to his bed, turning out the main lights as he goes. He sets his cup down on his bedside as he sits up against some pillows and pulls over his bag. Fishing around in his things, he pulls out some books and, more importantly, some medical records. The man he had been searching for had been in charge of them at the local hospital, and  _ apparently _ decided he had to  _ hide  _ them. Wouldn’t say why, but Finn had his suspicions as he began flipping through the files. 

It was all vague, very vague, but sounded enough like one of his squad members to certainly be a  _ start. _ It didn’t note any major injuries, only healing ones. This must have been either a recent stop or one of their  _ last _ . He could only hope it wasn’t the latter. 

He impatiently flipped through the notes, hoping to find any kind of photos, just to calm his anxieties and doubts but finds only a staple with the top corner of an image or page still caught to it. Something was torn out probably for the same reason this file was hidden. If Robotnik was keeping Finn in the dark to have kept him on a leash, then he probably made a few threats to anyone harboring information on Finn’s squad. His family.

He clutches the papers, frustrated, angry with himself. He flips it all shut then tosses the file aside, not caring if the papers get scattered at this point. He rubs his eyes hard, then holds his head in his hands for a few minutes. 

He tries calming himself down and listens intently to everything around him. The sounds of every twitch and movement he made against the bedsheets, the now pouring rain, and breathing. Erik’s breathing. Slow, steady, content. He tries timing it right to breathe in tempo with him. When he’s not blabbing, the odd hedgehog is pretty endurable. 

Finn eventually sits back against his pillows again, finally grabbing his tea and taking a sip. He grabs another one of his books and starts reading, trying to distract his mind until he’s too tired to think too hard.

 

~~~~~~~

 

Finn stirs awake to the sound of running water. Harsh, like that of a sink. He cracks open his eyes, blinking away the bleariness. He can’t remember at what point he fell asleep at while reading his book but finds it bookmarked and set neatly on his bedside table. He frowns, not understanding until looking towards the noise.

Erik turns off the sink as he finishes cleaning out the cup Finn had previously used for his tea. He grabs a towel and turns to face the small TV in the living room while he dries the cup. Finn follows his gaze to the TV. World news, muted with captions on.  _ ‘Huh.’ _

He can’t help but be a bit dumbfounded by the change in attitude the hedgehog has had, simply because Finn—To Erik’s knowledge—wasn’t awake to see it. He looks back at Erik, studying his expression. Alert, very focused and interested. Perhaps he’s just still waking up and doesn’t want to be blasted with noise like Finn? But he seems awake. Perhaps there were just more sides to this guy than he initially assumed. 

_ ‘He’s respectful when no one’s looking.’ _ Finn ponders this for a few more minutes before closing his eyes again and letting out a sigh. He hears the sound of a cabinet softly opening as Erik sets the cup back, closing it again gently. He hears the sound of Erik wiping his hands off on his jeans as he starts walking back to the couch. Lighter footsteps than the ones he had heard the night prior.

He relaxes once more, just resting for a while. He doesn’t easily fall dead asleep, but he drifts in and out of it for a while. If all the hedgehog was doing was cleaning things up and watching the news, he wasn’t entirely concerned. Sides, if Erik tries anything, Finn knows that he’d win. He may not be a big time villain anymore, but he can certainly put up a hell of a fight.

After a while of dozing, Finn figures he’s gotta get up at some point. He sighs and pushes himself up, then stretches. Erik glances over at him, a bit of surprise in his eyes as he quickly tosses the book he was reading onto the table and crosses his arms. He pretends he’s watching whatever day show turned on after the news. He frowns, a bit concerned at the ridiculousness of the show he turns back to. 

Finn huffs in amusement. He gets up and stretches further, popping his back and cracking his neck as he walks over to the kitchen. The tiles are cold on his feet. He opens the cupboard and pulls his cup out again, fixing another cup of tea. Erik leans his head backwards over the back of the couch, watching Finn upside down. He raises a brow.

“No coffee, Sleeping Beauty?” He smirks, gaining a cold glare from the jackal. Erik frowns with a sigh, “Right, no fun allowed. Okay.” He goes back to watching the television. There’s some silence as Finn continues. He grabs a spoon and starts stirring his tea as he makes his way over to the living room, sitting down in a chair perpendicular to the couch. Erik tenses a bit. He’s spent an equal amount of time regretting the decision to join Finn, but he can’t back out now. Do that and it’s a one way ticket back to No Zone. Though, depending on how he and Finn get along, that lonely cell may seem more homely each day.

Finn eventually huffs and grabs the remote, turning off the TV. Erik fakes a gasp and looks at Finn, speaking dryly.

“Oh  _ no.  _ Now I’ll never know who wins.”

“It was a reality show.”

“One of ‘em might  _ actually _ be successful in their lives.”

That earns a small smirk from the jackal, causing Erik to grin. He opens his mouth to rub it in but Finn cuts him off, leaning over and picking up the book Erik had tossed aside in such a hurry earlier.

“Didn’t take you as a studious type.” He says as he flips open the book, scanning its pages. 

“I’m not, I dunno what you’re talking about.” Erik rests his head on his hand, now growing bored that the TV’s off. Nothing to distract him from Finn’s constant judgement. He’s good at holding up an obvious lie though. Finn huffs.

“If you think I didn’t see or  _ hear _ you toss this thing, then you’re  _ wrong.” _ Finn tosses the book down like Erik did for emphasis, not breaking eye contact with him. Erik sighs and rolls his eyes, his hand slipping as he sits back.

“Ya  _ got me.  _ I was lookin’ through the pretty pictures.” He smiles sweetly, the sarcasm obvious. Finn groans. 

“Forget I asked. If you get so defensive over  _ reading, _ a conversation isn’t worth it.”

“I’m not  _ defensive.” _ He argues, defensively. 

“Uh huh. Didn’t think your ego was so fragile.”

“If I had an ego it would’ve been crushed years ago. If I had an ego, I’d have shame. Look me in the eyes, Finn, and tell me.  _ Do I really have any shame?” _

“Whatever.” He just sips his tea and Erik huffs with a smile. He doesn’t necessarily feel like talking past that and just starts fiddling with the buttons on his shirt. Finn thinks over his options. He could continue conversation and get it over with, or he could leave Erik to his own devices. 

The latter could be a gamble. He decides to carry the conversation for now, tapping his cup as he shifts in his seat. He glances out at the rain and early morning fog. Erik figures he’s given up on a conversation, so he’s even  _ more _ surprised by hearing his voice again. 

“How did you sleep?” Finn asks as he continues looking outside. Erik leans back into the cushion with a smile.

“I haven’t slept on something thing comfy in ages… So, pretty great.” He grins and Finn nods in understanding. Erik folds his hands, wanting to say something, but debating on whether it’d just come out weird. He opens his mouth to, catching Finn’s attention when he backs out on it. Finn raises a brow and Erik quickly thinks of something else to say. Something else to talk about. Something he’s seen.

“I… noticed your sword. The ruby one.”

This makes Finn alert, defensive almost, as he snaps back.

_ “What about it?” _

Erik blinks. He holds his hands up.

“ _ I was just gonna say it’s cool!” _ He gives a slight nod in assurance and Finn eases up. Erik slowly puts down his arms, resting his hands on his knees and picking at the fabric as he continues. “It’s a  _ beautiful _ design, I haven’t seen one like it before. Was it custom made?”

Finn blinks, not used to having anyone interested in his old weapon. He slowly nods.

“Yes.. I take it you  _ like _ swords?”

“It’s my best weapon!” Erik grins with a shrug, piquing Finn’s interest. 

“And I take it you want to hear  _ more _ about mine?”

Erik crosses his legs and rests his head on his hand once again as he fully faces the jackal. The blue in his eyes shine with curiosity and focus. Finn huffs.

“Right… I should’ve figured so.” He sighs as he thinks over his words, tapping his cup again with his tail gently swaying. A sign of him thinking hard. He makes a decision, setting his cup down and getting up. He walks over to his collection of bags and tossed aside clothes by his bed. Finn wasn’t usually a  _ messy _ person, but once he’s focused on something he becomes rather absent-minded regarding anything else. He frowns a bit as he sorts through it to get to his duffel. Erik watches curiously.

Eventually, he pulls out his sword. It was sheathed and the hilt wrapped in paper, hopefully deterring anyone from it if someone somehow got a hand on his stuff. He’d certainly be lying if he said the sword wasn’t worth much. He carries it back over and sits back down. He begins ripping the paper off, glancing at Erik every once in a while as he does, noting his reactions. Erik was staring in wonder as the shimmering red and blue hilt came into view. 

Finn glances at Erik, a smirk on his face and prideful look in his eyes as he grabs the sword and unsheathes it. The sound of the blade sliding out making Erik grin. Finn holds up the ruby blade, the early light dancing across it. Erik stares, fascinated. Finn cuts the air, swooping the sword with a practiced grace.

“Figured this was more of a ‘Show don’t tell’ situation.. I’ve had this blade for years, and with it, I was  _ truly _ fearsome! It’s one of a kind, specifically made to assist my fighting style.” He pauses, thinking over his words before he brings the blade close. He runs his fingers precariously along the edge. He sucks in a breath and lifts his fingers, showing the blood now dripping down them to Erik. “Years later, and it’s still one of the sharpest blades on the planet.”

Erik nods, fascinated and a bit concerned about the blood. Finn briefly sucks the blood off of his fingers, waves his hand a bit then wipes it on his pants in hopes they’ll stop bleeding in the meantime. He opens his mouth to continue but Erik cuts him off.

“With cuts that deep, that won't stop it.”

Finn blinks.

“ _ Pardon?” _

“Im just saying! If you want—“

“I think I can handle a little  _ cut.” _ Finn scowls and Erik shrugs, crossing his arms.

“I  _ know. _ But it’ll be pretty embarrassing if it gets infected or something. ‘Oh  _ dear _ what happened to your fingers??’ ‘Oh well I cut myself on my sword because it looked really badass but then it got hella infected and now they’re gone.’” Erik stands as Finn rolls his eyes.

“You’re insufferable.”

“I’d say practical with a hint of sarcasm. Look, just set it down and keep talking while I get stuff to clean it up.” He waves at Finn as he walks back to the bathroom and begins searching the cabinets. Finn grumbles to himself. He leans on his knees, annoyed. He shouldn’t have to deal with this! He could survive a little cut and he hates being cut off too. He huffs, rubbing his fingers together only to have it sting. He growls as he lifts his hand again.

_ Oh. _ Perhaps there  _ was _ a bit more blood than he thought. He wouldn’t admit that of course.

Erik comes back with some supplies and sits back down. He holds his hand out, wanting Finn to give him his hand. The jackal just stares at it then him. Erik frowns, unamused.

“Just give me your damn hand.”

Finn huffs but does so, albeit stubbornly. Erik sighs as he begins cleaning him up.

“How long have you been a swordsman?” He asks without looking up to Finn. The jackal blinks, surprised he’s continuing the conversation. 

“Since I was young. I’ve always been a self-reliant person.”

Erik nods in understanding. “Your sword is beautiful. Well made too.” He holds a cotton ball to his fingers as he digs around for some kind of bandage.

“You’re obviously fascinated by it. You mentioned a sword was your best weapon, what’s the history there?” Finn sets down his blade and relaxes, leaning on his knees and focusing more on what Erik has to say. Erik just grins with a huff.

“Yeah, ain’t a lie either! I’ve just always had an interest in blades, both their craft and actually using them. Just one of those things I guess..” He shrugs.

“Do you have your own?” Finn inspects Erik, genuinely curious now. The hedgehog nods blankly.

“Yeah.. But I don’t have it.”

“Where  _ is _ it?”

“No Zone, still..” He sighs as he wraps Finn’s fingers quickly and efficiently. He claps his hand, making sure they’re taught and lets go as he starts cleaning up. Finn slowly takes his hand back, inspecting the hedgehog. He’s obviously upset. He opens his mouth to question him but is cut off, Erik already knowing he’ll ask.

“I didn’t have time to grab it if I wanted to get out. They’ve learned to keep my stuff scattered, that way I’m less prepped to defend myself once outside.” He rolls his eyes. “So, it’s still chilling somewhere, all wrapped up nicely out of my reach.”

“How many times have you gotten out?”

“Enough times that you’d think they’d change a few things to make it harder!” He laughs. Finn huffs in amusement.

“What’s it like?”

“My sword?” Erik raises a brow, pleasantly surprised that he’s interested. Finn nods. Erik sits back and looks at the ceiling as he thinks of how to describe it.

“ _ Well.  _ It’s a longer and straighter blade than  _ yours _ , certainly. It’s a cutlass but all fancy ‘round the hilt. Golds and baby blues wrap around the hilt n’ stuff . A sheath to match as well.”

“Sounds fancy…”

“It is!” Erik smiles proudly and Finn huffs. Erik chuckles a bit before sighing, “Of course,  _ I _ didn’t buy it. It was a birthday gift..”

“Oh?” Finn pushes, hoping to get a bit more info. Erik shrugs with a smile.

“Yep!” He shuts the small med kit he had grabbed and stands up, returning it to the bathroom and promptly ending the conversation. Finn sits back in his seat, inspecting his bandaged hand. It’s well done. Not a skill he expected the hedgehog to have, but certainly useful for the future. Speaking of the devil, his voice rings out throughout the room as he calls to Finn, speaking the moment the question popped into his mind.

_ “So!  _ If I’m gonna help you out with finding your  _ crew—“ _

_ “Squad.” _ Finn corrects as he looks over his nails.

“That! Anyways, if I’m gonna be helping…” he saunters back out and leans over the back of the couch. “I’m gonna have to know about them. Like, what all have you got so far? What’s the plan?”

Finn absentmindedly taps his nails as he thinks. He usually doesn’t divulge such privy information to such a stranger, yet by recruiting him in the first place, he has the right to know. Yet then again does he  _ really _ trust him?

Eventually, he sighs. He waves at Erik as he stands to go grab what documents he has so far.

“Sit down, I have a lot to explain.”


End file.
